Project Information
When I first started to build my Shop (it's not a garage, it's a Shop) the only bench I had was a 3'x6' folding table. It worked great for a couple of years. After looking through woodworking magazines for a couple of years, I decided to build a workbench. For me, simple is best. I also wanted to use it as an assembly table and an extension for the table saw.
I used 1"x 4" pine for the legs, feet and top cross-pieces. I glued them together to form a 4" x 4". Well, really 3" x 4". They are really strong. Made mortise and tenon joints so everything could fit together. Actually, at glue up I left spaces on the legs, feet and top cross-pieces so I could just slip them together. I glued and screwed a piece of MDF to the top cross-pieces. I put a piece of ¼" birch plywood on top of the MDF. Using a prefab maple butcher block top I placed that on top leaving about 6 " from one side to make a tray. I bought the prefab maple butcher block top since the cost of stock maple was more than the prefab top. Then I used maple to edge the entire bench. One nice little tip: cut some ply for the ends of the tray and install them at a 45 degree angle. That way you don't have a 90 degree corner that makes it difficult to pick up parts or keep clean. You can just slide any screws or parts up the ramp from the tray. I added one more tray under the bench which is used to house boxes of screws or nails.
There are two stretchers one for each leg. On top of the stretchers is a shelf. I could have bolted everything together to make it portable, but I glued and screwed it together.
Its one strong bench and it won't go anywhere.
I used 1"x 4" pine for the legs, feet and top cross-pieces. I glued them together to form a 4" x 4". Well, really 3" x 4". They are really strong. Made mortise and tenon joints so everything could fit together. Actually, at glue up I left spaces on the legs, feet and top cross-pieces so I could just slip them together. I glued and screwed a piece of MDF to the top cross-pieces. I put a piece of ¼" birch plywood on top of the MDF. Using a prefab maple butcher block top I placed that on top leaving about 6 " from one side to make a tray. I bought the prefab maple butcher block top since the cost of stock maple was more than the prefab top. Then I used maple to edge the entire bench. One nice little tip: cut some ply for the ends of the tray and install them at a 45 degree angle. That way you don't have a 90 degree corner that makes it difficult to pick up parts or keep clean. You can just slide any screws or parts up the ramp from the tray. I added one more tray under the bench which is used to house boxes of screws or nails.
There are two stretchers one for each leg. On top of the stretchers is a shelf. I could have bolted everything together to make it portable, but I glued and screwed it together.
Its one strong bench and it won't go anywhere.
